SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Money makes the world go round.
And for non-profits, grants can be the difference between operating or closing their doors.
The proposed federal funding freeze from the White House and the court order putting it on hold put plenty of organizations' worlds on tilt.
“The last 24 hours have been a bit of a rollercoaster,” Michael Hopkins, CEO of Jewish Family Service, said.
“In the last 24 hours, we've kind of been on a rollercoaster,” Brent Wakefield, CEO of Meals On Wheels San Diego County, said.
ABC 10News spoke with both heads of the non-profits about what kind of impact federal funding has on its budget and that of the proposed funding freeze.
“We get about $15 million dollars worth of federal funding and our budget which is just north of $100 million,” Hopkins said.
“So in our $10 million budget, 1.2 million is, you know, about 12% of our budget and that's significant,” Wakefield said.
While both say it’s a hard time to navigate, they’re also having to think on plan b’s as they wait and wonder if another proposed freeze is coming.
“Specifically put together some proposals and meet with some of our largest private supporters and foundations to bridge that gap until we manage that. What we won't do is stop feeding these people,” Wakefield said.
ABC 10News also reached out to Catholic Charities of San Diego regarding the proposed freeze and the pause.
It said in a statement from Chief Executive Officer Appaswamy “Vino” Pajanor,
“Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego operates over 40 vital programs across four departments, providing crucial services to our unhoused neighbors, seniors, families facing food insecurity, and individuals settling in the United States. In light of the recent federal funding freeze, we are closely monitoring the situation and are still awaiting clarity on how this will impact our programs. At this time, it remains uncertain which services may be affected by the executive order, and we are committed to navigating these challenges while continuing to serve our community.”
Serving the community is still the main priority during this time.
“As an organization, I think that we have a pretty strong muscle to handle these situations,” Hopkins said. “There are folks in our community that have needs and we need to stay focused on what their needs are. And then figure out all of the different possible resources that are out there to be able to serve those needs.”
